The present invention relates to a tool to install and remove ball and spring detent means and, more particularly, to a specialized tool for use within the gear box of a support system for a tractor-trailer.
Trailers which are attached to tractors and commonly known as "18 wheel tractor-trailers" are frequently removed from the tractor and parked. The parking procedure requires that a pair of legs be lowered from beneath the trailer to support the end of the trailer which otherwise would be supported by the tractor. The legs are part of a support system or "landing gear" which has a frame on which the legs are mounted, a gear box and a hand crank to operate with the gear box for raising and lowering the legs. The hand crank is connected to a cylindrical shaft which can be moved to two positions for more rapid or more slow movement of the legs by use of the selected gears within the gear box. A ball and spring detent within a transverse bore in the cylindrical shaft permits movement to the selected position. When the gear box is opened for repairs or maintenance, it is quite common for the detent means to be uncovered and the ball (or balls) is ejected form the bore by the spring. Frequently, the spring is also lost from the bore. It is extremely difficult to replace the ball and spring and, in many instances, the mechanic does not replace the ball and spring. It is estimated that at least one third of the trailers on the road today do not have the detent means in place. The truck operator is unaware of the absence of the ball and spring and attempts to use the hand crank in the normal manner. The shaft can move longitudinally and "kick" resulting in the crank moving suddenly and violently to cause injuries to the arm, head or body of the operator. In other cases, the ball and/or spring, after ejection from the bore, became lodged in the gears in the gear box and caused the gears to jam. The operator cannot move the landing gear and there is a hazard that the trailer weighing 10 tons or more is unstably parked.
A further complication in replacing or removing the ball and spring detent means is that the gear box can be opened only to a limited extent before the bushing in the gear box cover no longer retains the ball and spring in the transverse bore. The limited opening of the gear box severely restricts access to the cylindrical shaft and the transverse bore in which the ball and spring detent means are disposed. The mechanic working on the gear box has an opening of two to three inches or less to work within the gear box.
U.S. Pat. No. 463,563 to Williamson disclosed a combined tongs and pinchers having ends oppositely and outwardly curved and forming an approximately circular end when the arms or shanks are closed. The ends are provided with eyes through which pass pivots that secure jaws to the inner faces of eyes and permit the jaws to turn or rotate to present their tines or points or their flat surfaces to form a pair of tongs or pinchers as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,445,908 to Perkins disclosed dish holding tongs wherein the flat holding pads have an adjustable or tilting movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,704,548 to Alberg disclosed tongs having bowed metal jaws secured to handles for holding fire logs.
Kulp et al in U.S. Pat. No. 1,850,268 disclosed spring-pressed or yielding arms pivotally mounted on their respective jaws at a point preferably about half way of the length thereof by headed over pivot pins passing through the rear portion of arms and the adjacent portion of jaws respectively.
Kane, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 2,555,591 disclosed a pipe coupling wherein a semicircular vise or shoe is pivotally mounted to the distal ends of curved portions of levers. The two semi-circular shoes match together to form an annular ring and form a clamp with respect to a pipe.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,777 Iraids disclosed a spring-actuated miter clamp with pivotally mounted jaw members to engage and grip surfaces at any angle relative to one another.
None of the references are directed to a detent means in a gear box and none of the devices have arcuate members having an end pivotally connected to the tip of the arm.
Thus, there is a need for a tool to be used for removal and installation of a ball and spring detent in a confined space.